Contracting dry-kiln truck.



M. H..FIELDING. GONTRAGTING DRY KILN TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.1'7, 191 3.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' mmmmu %/5 WWW NORRIS PETRS 60.. PHOTO-Llmtl. WASHINGTON. By C.

M. H. FIBLDING. CONTRACTING DRY KILN TRUBK.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 1'1, 1913.

1 ,125,08Q, Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mam?! ma WW? llllll l lll lwll 4 ll'll :I I J H ill. 1 |i MATTHEU H.FIELDING, 0F ALTON, FLORIDA.

CONTRACTING DRY-KILN TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd J an, 19, 1915,

Application filed December 17, 1913. Serial No. 807,333. i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MATTHEU H. FIELD- lNG, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Alton, in thecounty of Lafayette and State of Florida, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Contracting Dry-Kiln Trucks, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

This invention relates to contracting dry kiln trucks and has for itsobject the production of a simple and efficient truck which willefficiently support green timber so as to prevent the timber fromfalling from the trucks after the same has become dried.

Another object of this invention is the production of a simple andefiicient means for forcing the supporting standards of the truckstoward the center of the trucks in order to keep t e timber in acompacted relation after the same has become dried.

l/Vith these and other objects in view this invention consists ofcertain novel'combinations, constructions, and arrangements of parts aswill be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of thetrucks supported upon a section of a track. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view through one end of the trucks. Fig. 3 is a side elevationof one of the trucks showing the inner plate removed therefrom. Fig. 4is a perspective view of one of the side plates of the truck frame. Fig.5 is an enlarged side elevation of one end of the truck showing theinner plate removed therefrom. Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 66, ofFig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the compressing levers.Fig. 8 is a detail perspective of one end of one of the timbersupporting bars. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective of the lower end of oneof the timber supporting standards.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that the present kiln truckcomprises a pair of similarly constructed truck frames 1. Each of thetruck frames 1 comprises an outer plate 2 and an inner plate 3. Each ofthe plates 2 and 3 is provided with closed ends 1, and a filler block 5is interposed between the respective ends of the plates 2 and 3.Compression levers 6 are pivotally mounted between the respective endsof the plates 2 and 3 as shown in Fig. 3.

Supporting wheels 8 are secured to the 'engagementwith the standards 12.

trucks 1 by means of the axles 9, which axles extend transversely of thekiln truck to connect the parallel truck beams. The wheels 8 arejournaled upon the shaft between the inner and outer plates 2 and 3 asis clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. v

The compression levers 6 comprise substantially L-shape bodies havingtheir inner ends inwardly extending so as to constitute supports for thetimber carrying frames or bars 10. These bars 10 are preferably of anI-beam structure having parallel longitudinally extending cleats 11formed along their upper edge and extending beyond the respective endsof the body of the bars 10 so as to constitute a pocket for the verti- Ically extending compression standards 12. The projecting ends 13 of thecleats 11 straddle the compression levers 6 and constitute guides forthese compression levers to normally hold the compression levers in lhelower ends of the standards 12 are notched as indicated at 14 forfitting over the longitudinally extending rib portions 15 formed uponthe inner and outer plates 2 and 3. It will, therefore, be seen that thestandards 12 will be held against removal from the trucks 1, in view ofthe fact that an enlarged head 16 has been produced by forming thenotched portions 141 in the standards 12.

A cam 17 is carried at each end of each of the trucks 1 and is adaptedto engage the under face of the inwardly extending portion 18 of thecompression levers 6 to hold the levers in a set position while loadingthe truck. Locking bolts 19 pass transversely through the inner andouter plates 3 and 41 of the trucks 1 as illustrated in Fig. 6 and areadapted to extend through the cams17 to hold the cams in a set positionand prevent the free operation of the compression levers 6. These bolts19 are provided with squared heads 20 for the pur- Dose of facilitatingthe operation of the bolts. After the truck has once been loaded thecams 17 mav be removed from the levers 6 thereby allowing the cams 17 toswing downwardly and permit the free swinging of the clamping levers 6as the green timber placed upon the frame or bars 10 contracts as thetimber becomes dried.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very simple andefficient means has been produced for supporting green timber upon atruck and causing the timber to be held in a compacted relation whilethe same is in the process of being dried. By means of the presentinvention it will be seen that the timber may be piled or stacked uponthe several trucks and the timber will at all times maintain its properrelation owing to the fact that as the timber contracts the weight ofthe timber will press upon the inwardly extending portions 18 of thelever and since the resistance to the vertically extending portions 21of the lever 6 will be lessened, the standards 12 will be forcedinwardly so as to hold the timber in its correct or desired relation. Ofcourse, it should be understood that the timber may be placed upon thetrucks in any desired manner, but it is preferable to place the timberupon the trucks by piling the same edgewise and placing special cleatsbetween each pile to allow a free circulation of heat or air between theseveral rows of timber.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. A. device of the class described comprising a plurality of truckframes, an article supporting member carried by each frame, pivotedcompression means carried by each truck frame and supporting saidarticle supporting member and adapted to compress an article carried bythe article supporting member when the article shrinks.

2. A dry kiln truck comprising a plurality of truck frames, timbersupporting members vertically movable within said truck frames, anglelevers carried by said truck frames and provided with inwardly extendingends, said timber supporting members supported by said inwardlyextending ends of said angle levers for causing the upper ends of saidangle levers to be forced inwardly by means of the weight of the timberupon said timber supporting members as the timber supported therebyshrinks.

3. A truck of the class described comprising a plurality of elongatedtruck frames having upper and lower side flanges, a timber supportingmember of a substantially I l-beam structure supported thereby andvertically movable therein, angle levers provided with inwardlyextending ends, said timber supporting members supported upon saidinwardly extending ends, said angle levers provided with upwardlyextending ends adapted to be forced inwardly as the timber supported bysaid timber supporting members shrink, and means for holding said anglelevers in a set position.

4. A device of the class described comprising a truck, a timbersupporting member vertically movable upon said truck, an angle membercarried by said truck and provided with an inwardly extending endsupporting said article supportingmember, a cam adapted to lit undersaid inwardly extending end for holding said angle lever in a setposition, and a rotatable bolt passing through said truck and engagingsaid cam for holding said cam in a set position.

5. A device of the class described comprising a truck formed of aplurality of plates, a vertically movable timber supporting membercarried thereby and provided with a pair of side cleats havingprojecting ends, standards positioned within said projecting ends ofsaid side cleats, angle levers fitting in between said projecting ends,said projecting ends constituting guides for holding said standards andangle levers in their correct position, and means formed upon saidstandards for preventing the vertical displacement thereof from saidtruck.

6. A truck of the class described comprising a body, an articlesupporting member, said article supporting member provided withbifurcated ent s, vertical standards, said truck provided with sideplates having inwardly extending flanges along the upper edge thereof,said standards provided with notches formed therein, said notchesfitting over said flanges of said side plates of said truck, anglelevers pivotally mounted upon said truck and provided with inwardlyextending ends supporting said article supporting member, said anglelevers provided with upwardly extending ends engaging said standards andadapted to force the same inwardly as the timber carried by said articlesupporting member contracts, the weight of said article supportingmember and said timber constituting means for causing the upper ends ofsaid angle levers to be swung inwardly.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aliix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

MATTHEU H. FIELDING.

Witnesses:

J. L. Harm-run, Oscar: F. Kenna.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Goinmissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

